


Can't See For Looking

by coldfusion9797



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers R.P.M.
Genre: Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Multi, Mutual Pining, Post-Venjix, Sibling Love, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2020-05-15 15:43:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldfusion9797/pseuds/coldfusion9797
Summary: Saving the world was the easy part, figuring out what to do with it is tougher. Or... the Power Rangers learn to get on with life post-Venjix.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is mainly a Dillon/Ziggy fic with a couple of other pairings thrown in to mix it up a bit. It's something I wrote purely to entertain myself, (like my NatM story), but because there is limited fic for this pairing I thought I might share it. This story is all written, so if you start reading, you will get to finish. Enjoy :)

"Dillon, no," Summer argued. "We're doing good work out here." They argued a lot lately. Mostly he thought it was because she expected too much of him.

"I know, and that won't change. But we have to go back to Corinth for a little while."

They'd been over this before. Summer was determined to save the whole world, but that had never much bothered Dillon before. As long as his friends and family were okay, that was enough for him.

"We?" she frowned.

He appreciated all that Summer had done for him, she had believed in him, and always had faith even when the virus was taking over. He didn't want to leave her behind.

"Yeah. Me, you and Tenaya."

"Dillon, I can't leave here. Not now. Not when there's still so much to do."

"Well I can't stay. I have to take Tenaya back. Her eyes are getting worse. Maybe Doc K will have something that can help."

That wasn't the whole story, but it was the one he thought Summer would best understand.

It did tip the scales in his favour.

"I can't argue with that," she allowed, finally giving up on the fight.

"So, you'll come?"

"No. But you should go. Get help for Tenaya if you can."

"We'll be back soon. I pr-"

Summer pressed her fingers to his mouth.

"Don't. You don't know if you can keep it."

He wanted to argue, but they had done enough of that, and she was right. Whatever this was between them had run its course, but that didn't mean he didn't still care about her.

He pulled her into a hug.

"Take care of yourself, Summer."

"You too, Dillon. I hope everything goes okay for Tenaya."

"Me too."

\---

"Have I ruined things between you and Summer?" Tenaya asked from the passenger seat of the Fury.

"No. What makes you say that?"

"We're going back to Corinth because of me, and she stayed behind."

What could he say? Technically that was all true, but it wasn't the whole truth. Tenaya's deteriorating condition was the push he needed to finally go back, but the discontentment he felt had been building for a while. Pretty much ever since they'd left. Despite having his sister back, and a possible future with Summer, he'd still felt like something was missing.

Having had his memories messed with in the past, it was hard to pinpoint, but he was sure the answer was in Corinth.

"Dillon?" Tenaya checked, gently touching his arm. Since her vision had worsened, she'd become more tactile. Vaguely he remembered her being like that back when she was blind.

He sighed. There was no good answer to give when he didn't understand it himself. All he knew was that leaving Summer behind didn't feel wrong in the way that leaving Corinth had.

"It's okay," he told his sister. "Summer has things she needs to do. And so do I."

Tenaya's hand tightened a little. He knew she wanted him to be okay, just as much as he wanted her to.

\---

They didn't have to wait for the shields to lower when they reached Corinth. The city didn't need to be locked anymore.

Driving into the city, they headed straight for the base to find Doc K.

The place looked pretty much the same as it always had when they pulled into the garage.

"Well look who it is..." An unmistakeable Scottish accent greeted them.

"Hey," Dillon said, hopping out of the car and smiling at his friend.

"Where's Summer?" Flynn frowned, noticing her absence immediately.

Dillon guessed it was pretty weird, showing up here without her.

"She's okay," he assured. "Rebuilding Omega City keeps her pretty busy."

"I suppose it would," Flynn agreed.

Dillon walked around to the other side of the car to help Tenaya. Her eyes weren't quite that bad yet, but he didn't want to take any risks with her. He opened the door and guided her out.

"Is everything okay?" Flynn asked, sounding a little worried.

Dillon honestly didn't know.

"Is Doc K around?"

"No, they're at school. Why? Is something wrong?"

He couldn't deny it as he led Tenaya to the couch, where Flynn started fixing the cushions automatically while he waited for an answer.

"We were hoping she could take a look at Tenaya's eyes."

"What happened?"

"My vision is getting blurry," Tenaya answered. "If it's a hardware problem, she might be able to fix it."

"And if it isn't?" Flynn asked worriedly.

Dillon gave Tenaya's hand a squeeze.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said.

Flynn gave him a pained look. That was the thing about Flynn, he always wanted everyone to be okay.

"I thought the school would be here," Dillon said looking around the spacious base.

That put a smile on Flynn's face.

"They figured out pretty quickly there's a lot of stuff around here that kids shouldn't play with."

Dillon could imagine that one of the kids getting hold of a nitro blaster might not end well.

"School is only a couple of blocks away if you want to go find the Doc."

That sounded good, now that they were here, Dillon didn't wanna waste any time. But he also didn't wanna leave Tenaya alone.

"It's okay," Flynn assured. "I can wait with Tenaya. If you like?"

Dillon looked down at his fierce, brave sister, getting more helpless by the day.

"Go, Dillon. I'll be fine here," she said.

"I won't be long," he told her.

"Thanks," he said to Flynn on the way out, giving his former teammate a pat on the back as he passed.

"It's good to see you again, Dillon."

"You too, Flynn," he replied honestly. Being back in Corinth and seeing a friend, had him feeling better already.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't hard to find the school, the stream of kids pouring out the door kinda gave it away.

Dillon waited until they were all gone before he stepped inside.

The sight that met his eyes lifted his mood instantly.

There was Ziggy, covered in flour, cooking utensils and batter strewn everywhere across the counter.

"I think you're supposed to cook the food, not wear it."

Ziggy's head instantly snapped up at the sound of his voice.

"Dillon? Is that...? It is! Dillon!"

"Yeah, Zig," he smiled. Ziggy raced over, and Dillon might have taken a few quick steps forward too, and then they were hugging, both of them squeezing tight.

"I can't believe you're here!" Ziggy said excitedly.

Dillon felt kinda the same, and for the first time in a while, he felt grounded.

"Well I am. You better get used to it."

They let go and Ziggy grinned up at him.

"You're here to stay?"

He honestly couldn't answer that question, but going by his gut, he thought the answer was more likely to be yes.

"We'll see," he told his best friend. "Is the Doc around?"

"Um, yeah. Sure." Anyone who didn't know Ziggy as well as Dillon did, would have missed the slight deflation at the mention of the doctor. Dillon wasn't sure what to make of it, but decided not to acknowledge it, because right now he needed the Doc's help. "This way."

They fell into step beside each other.

"Wanna hear something crazy?"

"Sure," Dillon smiled. With every look and every word, he was realising just how much he'd missed Ziggy.

"I missed you," Ziggy announced.

"That is crazy."

Ziggy gave him a wry look. It was fair enough, they'd been through too much together for Dillon to play aloof with him anymore.

"I missed you too, Zig," he admitted, ruffling the shorter boy's hair.

They found the Doc rubbing a whiteboard clean.

"Hey Doc," Dillon greeted.

She turned and gave him one of those unreadable looks. The Doc could be cold sometimes. Too worried about reason rather than feeling.

"Dillon. This is certainly a surprise. You're alone. Has something happened?"

"Tenaya is back at the base," he supplied to ease her concern.

"And Summer?"

"She stayed behind in Omega City."

Ziggy shot him a surprised look. They could talk about it, but later.

"Listen Doc, I need your help with something."

"I'll do want I can. What's the problem?"

"It's Tenaya. Her eyes aren't working like they should."

Doc K nodded.

"We feared this might happened. I'll run some tests and see what I can do."

"Thanks Doc."

\---

The tests didn't take very long, but that didn't stop Dillon from being nervous. He knew his sister could get by without her sight, but she had tasted life without the disability, and she would lose some of the independence they had fought to win for her, if her vision failed. He wanted a full and happy life for her.

The Doc sighed, and Dillon shared a worried look with Ziggy. Whatever she was about to say wasn't good.

"The implants are holding fine. It's the optic nerve that's failing."

"Can you fix it?" Dillon asked.

"No. Neural damage is irreparable."

"So that's it?" Dillon demanded. He had seen the Doc do some incredible things, but this felt like she was giving up without even trying.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Dillon. I've run the tests, and the results are what they are. Your emotional response has no bearing on it."

"Dillon, it's okay," Tenaya assured.

He looked down at his sister, she had suffered so much already, so much more than he had. It wasn't fair, and he felt useless.

"How can you say that?" he asked her.

She looked up at him, reaching, and he stepped closer so she could lay her hands on either side of his face. She did her best to look into his eyes, a crease forming on her brow as she squinted a little to focus.

"Because I have you. I know you'll take care of me."

He wanted to argue, say that he shouldn't have to. Not because he didn't want to, he would do everything he could to help her, it was just that didn't want her to need the help. He wanted her to be well.

"Of course you do," he assured. "We'll make it work. Together."

She gave him a little smile, and he knew it was a good thing that he hadn't made Summer that promise because he would have had to break it. There was no way they could leave Corinth now.

\---

"It's just me and Doc K here these days," Ziggy said as he led them upstairs. "Gem, Gemma and Scott have moved over to the military barracks. Flynn stops by to use the garage sometimes and to talk tech with K, but most of the bedrooms are empty. You can use your old room if you want."

Ziggy pushed the door open to reveal that it was exactly the same as Dillon had left it.

It only had the single bed, and he didn't wanna leave Tenaya alone.

"What about Gem and Gemma's room?" Dillon asked. It had two beds.

"Um, yeah. Okay," Ziggy said, leading them in.

"This okay, Tenaya?" Dillon checked.

"It's fine," she said, because nothing was ever a bother to her. She had learned the hard way to pick her battles. "Thank you, Ziggy."

"You're welcome," Ziggy smiled.

An awkward silence fell, but it only lasted a moment, Ziggy made sure of that.

"So, can I get you guys anything?" He was wringing his hands together, throwing Dillon funny looks. "Smoothie? Popcorn? Lollipop?"

Dillon guessed he wanted to talk, and they would, but for tonight he wasn't leaving Tenaya's side. He wanted to make sure she was as okay as she claimed to be after the diagnosis.

"I think we're all good. Thanks, Zig."

"Oh, okay. Well I'm right down the hall if you need anything."

"Goodnight."

When it was just the two of them Dillon, sat on the bed and sighed. When he'd had to fight for Tenaya, using physical violence, it was easier. He knew how to do that. Battling grinders and blowing up bots was straightforward and tangible. But failing health? There was nothing he could do about that.

Tenaya sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've done this before, I can do it again."

He had absolute faith in her to rise to any challenge, but that didn't mean he couldn't be sad for her.

He wrapped his arm around her, and for a while just took comfort in the fact that at least they were together.


	3. Chapter 3

They needed to start making plans. They couldn't go running around in the wild anymore. Tenaya needed a safe place to live, so that meant settling in Corinth.

"You could stay here," Ziggy suggested.

"I'd rather a place that doesn't have stairs."

"I guess that makes sense," Ziggy allowed, shoulders slumping.

"Thanks though," Dillon said, bumping his arm against Ziggy's, earning him a smile.

"So you and the Doc, how's that going?"

"Oh um, she's great!" Ziggy announced, a bit too enthusiastically.

"C'mon, Zig. This is me you're talking to."

"No really," Ziggy insisted. "Everything's great."

"You do get that you're trying way too hard to convince me of that, right?"

Ziggy let out a long, slow breath and ran his hand through his hair.

"I mean, everything should be great. Right? She's smart, she's cute, she likes me."

"Well there's definitely something wrong with her then," Dillon teased.

"I..." Ziggy went to argue but then Dillon's statement actually computed, and he smiled. "Remind me again why I missed you?"

"My air of mystery and devilish good looks?"

"Ha! Yeah right."

"So, the Doc..." Dillon prompted.

"I shouldn't be complaining, not when people have real problems."

He was talking about Tenaya.

Dillon might've agreed that Ziggy had nothing to worry about and should just get over it, except for the fact that the exact same thing had happened to him. He should have been totally content with Summer, except he wasn't.

"It's okay, Zig. I get it."

"You do?"

"Me and Summer, we tried. But it just never felt quite right."

"Why do you think it was like that?"

"I dunno. I'm half machine, maybe I'm missing something I need."

"I don't believe that, Dillon. And neither do you. You love Tenaya too much for it to be true."

"Maybe..."

"Besides, that wouldn't explain me and Doc K."

"Nothing would explain that," Dillon joked, but then he thought better of it and slung his arm around Ziggy, pulling him in close to his side.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Dillon assured.

Ziggy relaxed against him, and for a minute Dillon felt more content than he had in a long time.

\---

"Before we can get a place, I'll have to get a job," he told Tenaya. While he didn't like the idea of leaving her alone for long periods of time, he needed the money. And maybe if he worked hard now before she got too bad, he wouldn't have to work so much when she really needed him.

"Maybe Scott or Flynn could help you out?" she suggested.

Scott was the commander of the Eagle Squad. He had recruited Gem and Gemma from the Rangers. It could work. Unless they had long missions, he needed more flexible hours. Flynn and his dad had opened a shop to build new computer networks for Corinth. Dillion wasn't exactly skilled with computers, but surely he could learn. Neither option was ideal, but he couldn't afford to be fussy.

"I'll talk to them."

\---

"Hi Dillon," Scott smiled. "Nice to see you again."

"You too, man," Dillon said, shaking hands with the former team leader. "I almost didn't recognise you." He gestured towards Scott's slicked down hair.

"Oh this," Scott laughed. "Gotta keep it professional."

"Tough being the boss, huh?"

"Can be, but you know I'm awesome at it."

"Yeah," Dillon allowed, no one else could have handled the Rangers like Scott had. "How are the latest recruits working out?"

"Truthfully, I think Gem and Gemma are kind of disappointed we won. There isn't much that needs blowing up these days." It was crazy, but Dillon didn't doubt it.

"So is the roster full?"

"Looking for a job?"

"Yeah, actually. I am."

"Really? You're back for good? I never thought Summer would give up on Omega so quick."

"She didn't. She's still there."

"What happened? I thought you guys had a plan."

"It's Tenaya. She's going blind again. We came back to see if the Doc could help, but there's nothing she can do. We need to stay here now, so Tenaya's safe."

"Oh man, that's tough. I wish I could help you out, but we don't have the resources. Dad's already being told the military sector is overstaffed now and he should look at downsizing. All the funding is being funnelled into rebuilding these days. I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's okay. I get it." It had been a long shot. Still, there might be something Scott could do for him. "Maybe you could check in on Summer next time you're out on patrol."

"Sure. I was planning on checking in with you guys anyway."

"Thanks, Scott."

Now that Plan A had failed, he set his sights towards Plan B.

"Dillon, you should go see Flynn. He might have something."

"I will."

\---

Dillon, Flynn and Ziggy were shooting some pool, and Plan B wasn't working out much better.

"Do you know anything about programming and networking?" Flynn asked as he bent over the table and lined up the shot.

"I'm made of circuits and stuff..." Dillon replied helplessly. Maybe he should have paid more attention to the tech side of things when they were fighting Venjix.

"I might have something," Ziggy chimed in.

"Zig, I can't stand in front of a bunch of kids all day. Besides, I need something that pays."

"Well it's a good thing I wasn't talking about the school then, isn't it? What about something more suited to your skillset?"

"And what's that?" Dillon wondered, interested to see where Ziggy was going with this.

"Oh, I dunno. Meanness, intimidation, being handy in a fight."

He liked the sound of this.

"Keep talking..."

"Fresno Bob is always looking for guys he can trust."

"Fresno Bob? Zig, I doubt he's gonna listen to a recommendation from you."

"Hey, I saved his life. Remember? He'll listen."

Maybe Ziggy was right. It was worth a shot at least.

"Okay," he agreed. "Set it up."


	4. Chapter 4

Fresno Bob's office was at the racetrack. Dillon didn't know exactly what this job would entail but he assumed it would involve courier work and maybe providing a bit of extra muscle. He could drive and he could fight so it shouldn't be a problem.

"You're Ziggy Grover's pal?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm concerned what that says about your judgement."

"Honestly, at times so am I."

"And you're looking for work," the cartel boss said.

Dillon nodded.

"I'll do anything you need me to."

"Anything?"

Dillon didn't hesitate.

"Yes, sir."

Fresno Bob gave him a scrutinising look. Dillon didn't flinch under it, he meant what he said, there was nothing he wouldn't do if it meant taking care of Tenaya.

"Alright," the cartel boss said, standing up behind his desk. "Follow me."

Dillon did as he was told and trailed behind Fresno Bob all the way to the stables.

"Horses eat a lot," the cartel boss said, lifting a pitchfork and pushing into Dillon's hand. "And that means they poop a lot. And someone has to clean it up."

"You want me to shovel crap?"

He had thought cartel work would be cooler than this.

"Is that a problem?" Fresno Bob asked in a way that told Dillon he wouldn't get a second chance here.

He thought of Tenaya, and all the things she would need.

"No, sir."

"You ever worked with horses before?"

"No."

Bob called another man over. He had floppy brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"Axle here was born in the stables. He'll teach you everything you need to know."

Dillon automatically shook hands with Axle, before he thought about the fact that Axle also worked in the stable.

Dillon looked down at his hand, dirty like Axle's, and figured it was done now, he might as well get stuck in and earn himself a pay check.

\---

"Hey, how'd it go? Impress him with your strong, silent-type thing?"

Dillon wrapped Ziggy up in a hug, both as a thank you and because he was happy that he could provide for his family now.

"I got the job."

"That's... You smell weird. Wait, don't tell me he's got you mucking out stalls?"

Dillon stepped back, keeping a hand on Ziggy's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"It's fine. It'll pay the bills."

"But you-"

Ziggy was cut off by Tenaya.

"Dillon?"

He turned to see her and Flynn.

"Yeah, sis," he answered, scooping her up into a hug. "I got the job. We can get a place of our own now."

"That's great, Dillon," Flynn offered.

"I'm proud of you," Tenaya told him.

They needed to do something to celebrate.

"Pizzas on me," Dillon announced, but for some reason Ziggy didn't look too keen. "Extra mushroom..." he tried to entice.

"Maybe next time. I've got some class prep to do for tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Dillon said, feeling very disappointed all of a sudden as he watched Ziggy disappear up the stairs.

"Well I'm in," Flynn agreed.

"Me too," said Tenaya happily.

"Great," Dillon said, trying his best to offer them a genuine smile. "Let's eat out."

They both agreed, Tenaya taking the arm Flynn offered, and the three of them set out for dinner. But even though everything was on track, even though his friends and family were all doing good, Dillon couldn't shake the feeling that something very important was still missing.

\---

The thing about working with horses was that the day started very early. Dillon hauled himself out of bed to get ready.

He ran into Ziggy in the hallway. Last night had been a little weird but he hoped that whatever it was, had passed.

"Hey, Zig."

"Oh, hey Dillon," Ziggy said, whirling around, hair even crazier than usual because he'd just woken up. Dillon couldn't help smiling. Ziggy was just so endearing.

"So I was thinking, maybe after I'm done at the stables and you've finished school for the day, you could help me with some house hunting?"

Now that he had a job, and was going to be moving out soon, he wanted to spend every moment with Ziggy that he could.

Ziggy hesitated for a second, but then he seemed to shake off whatever reservations he had and put a smile on his face.

"Sure. I know all the best places."

"I thought you might," Dillon smiled back.

\---

Ziggy was uncharacteristically quiet as they walked along the street. They had decided to check out a few neighbourhoods, see which ones might be suitable for Tenaya once she had to use the cane again.

"Hey, Zig. What's the matter?"

"The matter!" Ziggy squeaked. "Nothing! Why would something be the matter?" He was trying too hard and overcompensating again.

Dillon stopped and turned to his best friend.

"You're acting weird and you know it."

Ziggy tried for a moment to hold Dillon's gaze, but he couldn't. He dropped his eyes and raked a hand through his hair.

"It's stupid," he sighed.

Dillon reached out and laid a hand on Ziggy's shoulder.

"No, it isn't. Not if it's bothering you this much. Maybe I can help."

Ziggy turned those big brown eyes up at him, full of uncertainty this time.

"I guess, it's just, well you have a job now and you're moving out. I won't see you as much."

That's what all this was about?

"You're gonna miss me?"

"Yeah. I am. When you left Corinth before, things just weren't the same, and I know it's selfish, I know you have to do this for your sister because she needs you, but I guess the thing is, I kinda need you too."

Ziggy was looking at him with the most affecting mix of fear and hope. Dillon wanted to do anything he could to make Ziggy feel safe and wanted, so he pulled him into a hug.

"I promise I'm not going anywhere, Zig. I gotta do this for Tenaya, but you are welcome anytime, night or day. You're family too."

He meant that, because his feelings for Ziggy were just as strong as what he felt for Tenaya.

Ziggy held on tight a moment longer, then cleared his throat and stepped back, turning a much brighter look up at Dillon now.

"Well this isn't getting a place found."

"Guess not," Dillon agreed, even though for a second it kinda felt like he just might have found the place he belonged.


	5. Chapter 5

The place they found was a ground floor, two bedroom, not too far from Flynn and his dad's shop.

Moving in wasn't too big of a deal logistically, they basically had nothing, and Dillon planned to furnish the flat week by week as his pay checks came in.

"Home sweet home," he said to Tenaya, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they stood in the empty living room.

So far they each had a bed, and a bar stool so they could sit at the kitchen counter. It wasn't much but it was a start. It was a place of their own, they were together, and that was all it needed to feel like home.

\---

There wasn't much point showering before work. He was just going to get filthy. Dillon's morning routine consisted of rising before the sun, throwing on some clothes and brushing his teeth.

He was in the bathroom with a mouthful of foam when he heard a cry of pain. He raced out into the kitchen to find Tenaya clutching her hand.

"What happened?" he demanded, noticing the patch of scalded skin on the back of her left hand.

"I misjudged," she winced. There was an empty mug and water spilled across the counter.

He reached over the sink and turned the cold water on.

"Put your hand under here," he instructed, guiding her to the right spot, letting the cool water run over the burn.

"Better?" he checked.

"Yeah," she said, trying to pull away but he didn't let her.

"Leave it a minute."

When the initial fear subsided, he felt guilty. He hadn't realised she was this bad already.

"Your eyes have gotten a lot worse, huh?"

She pressed her lips together in a determined line, but then slumped and let it go.

"Yes."

"T, you should have said something."

She looked up, their faces close enough that she could see him. He didn't know in how much detail though.

She pulled her hand away and he let her this time. She lifted it to touch his cheek, her fingertips icy from the water.

"You have so much to worry about already."

She was talking about the job and the apartment and everything that had happened with Summer, and maybe even Ziggy being weird. But honestly, none of it was a bother as long as his sister was okay.

"Only if you don't talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know there's a problem."

"I'm sorry," she said, voice breaking a little. As hard as this was for him, he knew it must be so much harder for her.

He pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay. I just want to make it as easy for you as I can."

"I know. I want that for you too."

He pulled back and gave her a soft smile.

"Let's make a deal."

"Okay," she agreed.

"We're a team. No matter what. If something is bothering you, or you need help, you tell me. And I promise I'll do the same."

He didn't want to take all her sense of value from her. There were still so many things she could do, not to mention he needed her.

"Alright."

"I'll go first," he offered, to show her he was serious. "I'm worried about you staying here by yourself if your vision is this bad."

Tenaya opened her mouth to protest but he pressed on.

"I know you'll learn to cope, you're tough, but just until we have a plan and make some adjustments here, I'd rather if someone was with you."

"We can't ask someone to sit with me all day."

"So we won't. Flynn's shop is only a block from here. You could hang out there for the day. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Dillon expected her to put up a fight, but she surprised him by agreeing straight away.

"I guess that sounds okay."

\---

After they had said goodbye to Dillon, Flynn started to fuss. Tenaya tried to tell him it wasn't necessary, but he wouldn't be dissuaded. It didn't make her mad, he was a good guy and she knew he meant well. He just wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.

Ever since they had returned to Corinth he had been kind to her, always making sure she was safe and comfortable but never making her feel like she was a burden. He was sweet and brave, and she liked the way he took care of her without belittling her.

For most of the day he gave her jobs to do, things he knew she could do that genuinely needed doing. She appreciated the effort very much.

She liked him and couldn't help wondering what might have been if she wasn't like she was.

"Alright, lass. How'd that one go?"

"All done," she smiled, handing him the part.

"Nice work," he praised. "Maybe you should stick around."

"I'd like that," she admitted. Being around Flynn was uplifting. She trusted him and wanted to get to know him better. And sometimes her hands were best for that.

She heard his breath hitch when her fingers brushed the skin of his cheek.

"What are you doing?" he wondered.

Her vision was distorted, becoming shapes and shadows more than clear outlines, but this close she could still see the crooked smile and the blue of his eyes.

She let her fingers wander over his face, tracing his nose, his eyebrows, and when they found his lips, she let them rest there.

"I want to learn you while I can still see."

"What?" he said in his accented voice, the right side of his mouth quirking up.

She traced the shape of his lips.

"I want to remember what this smile looks like."

His breath was warm over her fingers as he exhaled.

"Tenaya, I dunno if Dillon-"

She pressed her fingers firmly to his lips to stop him talking.

"I don't really want to talk about my brother right now."

"Fair point," Flynn agreed, and then he kissed her. It was just a gentle brush of lips, careful like he always was with her.

He leaned back and even if she hadn't been able to see the smile, she would have been able to feel it with her hand resting on his cheek.

"This is where we were going with this, aye?" he checked.

"Yes," she smiled back, leaning in to kiss him again. Some things were just fine without sight.

\---

Now that he'd been here for a little while, Dillon was trusted enough to work with the horses a little.

Each morning the strappers took them out for track work while he mucked out the stalls, and then when they came back, they needed to be rubbed down and brushed.

At first he hadn't been too sure, the horses were big and strong, but he was strong and fast too, and he had learned pretty quick that they weren't so different to people. They all had their own personalities, and they responded best to calmness and kindness. Another thing he had learned was that no matter how long he spent brushing Scruff's mane, it would not be tamed. It was an unconventional look for a thoroughbred but made him an individual too.

Axle handed over the reins and Dillon led Scruff into his stall.

"Good run, buddy?" he said, giving the horse a pat on the neck before setting about taking his tack off.

Sitting the saddle and bridle aside to be cleaned later, Dillon attended to the horse first, rubbing him down and then brushing his brown hair until it shined. This was definitely the more enjoyable part of the job. It was still hard work, but he kind of liked the companionship of someone who didn't expect conversation from him.

\---

When he went to pick Tenaya up, something had changed. He felt it, Tenaya was brighter than she had been in weeks.

"Good day?"

"You could say that," she answered with a cryptic smile.

Flynn sat down beside her and took her hand. Dillon appreciated how great Flynn had been with her considering their history. For a long time they had fought on opposite sides of a war and Flynn didn't share a family bond with her, his kindness simply came from within him because that's who he was.

"I would have talked to you first if I'd expected it to happen," Flynn offered. Dillon was a little lost and waited for him to explain.

"What Flynn is trying to say," Tenaya grinned. "Is that we are dating."

What?

"We'll take it slow," Flynn quickly assured. "But we want to give it a real shot."

They both waited expectantly for his reaction. He wasn't angry, truth be told he was too shocked to feel much of anything.

"When did this happen?"

"Only today," Flynn told him.

"But," Tenaya said. "It just feels..."

"Right," Flynn finished for her and she smiled in agreement with the Scotsman.

Something in the back of his mind said he should resist, that this was his sister and no one was good enough, but he couldn't. This was Flynn. Dillon had fought side by side with him and knew he was one of the most genuine and completely good people on the planet. He was a hero, and Dillon trusted he would always do whatever was right by Tenaya. He couldn't really ask for more for her and she deserved a shot at happiness.

"I'm happy for you guys."

"Really?" Flynn asked with surprise.

"Yes, really. Anyway, you've seen me fight, you know how badly I will kick your ass if you screw this up."

"Noted," Flynn nodded, swallowing nervously.

"Now," Dillon said, pleased with the little bit of healthy fear he'd instilled. "Zig's bringing over some dinner, some new recipe he's thinking of for class that he wants us to try. Wanna come?"

"Sure," Flynn accepted, helping Tenaya up and offering her his arm. And Dillon had to admit it comforted him more than anything, knowing Tenaya would now have two people dedicated to looking out for her.


	6. Chapter 6

Ziggy knocked on the door of Dillon's flat, carefully balancing a dish. It was an excuse, but as long as it worked, he was fine with it.

"Hey, Zig," Dillon smiled at him, and it was exactly what he needed at the end of another long, lonely day. "Come in."

He followed Dillon to the kitchen.

"I think it's okay," he said of the food. "I tried to jazz it up a bit."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Flynn's here too."

"Oh hey Flynn," he said, turning to see Flynn and Tenaya snuggling on the couch. "Tenaya! How are you?!"

"Good thanks, Ziggy."

Ziggy turned back to Dillon, wondering if he could also see what was going on here.

"Yeah," Dillon laughed softly. "Took me by surprise too."

"So they are dating?"

"Yep. And speaking of, where's Doc K?"

And just like that, Ziggy's mood plummeted. He did his best to hide it though, he didn't wanna ruin the evening.

"She went with the Eagle Squad out to Omega to catch up with Summer."

Because he couldn't commit to her like she wanted, she was finding other things to occupy her time.

Dillon's face grew serious and Ziggy realised by mentioning Summer's name he'd just dampened Dillon's mood too.

"Sorry," he offered.

"It's fine. We're both where we need to be. How's Summer doing?"

"Great as far as I know. They're talking about relocating the first settlers soon."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Omega is the first step to reclaiming the world. Or the second, anyway. I mean, we fought hard enough for it, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Dillon agreed. "We did."

"They might need more personnel for that, I mean if you're sick of horse poop."

"You know what? It's actually kinda growing on me."

"Poop?"

"Hanging out with the horses. They're pretty amazing animals. It's kinda peaceful being around them. So, should we eat?"

"Yeah, okay," Ziggy agreed.

Dillon set the table and Ziggy served the food.

When they all sat down to eat Ziggy felt that familiar pang, he missed them all being together. Back in their Ranger days, they had spent all their time together, fighting and training and just hanging out. The base felt so big and empty these days.

"Now, be honest," he said. "Unless you don't like it, then feel free to lie all you want."

Dillon tried a mouthful and gave him a grin, which was almost like a drug to Ziggy.

"Wow, Zig. This is really good."

Ziggy grinned back. Dillon's approval of him was intoxicating.

Everyone agreed that the food was good. It was a bonus, what mattered most to Ziggy was that they were all here together, and he made sure to enjoy it.

After dinner, Tenaya got up to do the dishes, and Dillon tried to stop her.

"Dillon, I'm not an invalid. I can wash dishes."

"I know, but your hand..."

"Fine," she said, yanking the tea towel away from him. Even though they were fighting, it was kinda nice, Ziggy didn't have any siblings to bicker with. "Flynn can wash. I'll dry." And because he was a good brother, Dillon gave in and let Tenaya have the win.

It meant for the next few minutes, Ziggy had Dillon all to himself. He had never had a friend like Dillon before, someone he admired and respected, as well as being able to joke around with them. He often thought about the day they'd met, the serendipitous circumstances, and how Dillon, despite being the toughest, coolest person Ziggy had ever met, had accepted him straight away. He could easily have left Ziggy for dead out there, but he didn't. Instantly they'd become a team. He really missed having Dillon around.

"Must be nice having the whole place to yourself," Dillon pouted. "Peaceful and quiet."

He was scowling at Tenaya, but Ziggy knew he didn't really mean it, Dillon was exactly where he wanted to be.

"There's such a thing as too quiet, you know," Ziggy said, unable to resist having a little dig at Dillon about his aversion to talking.

Dillon arched a brow and Ziggy decided he didn't want to start anything, time with his best friend was too precious these days.

It was hard though, sometimes when he was around Dillon now he felt off-balance, like he wasn't sure what to say or do next. Sometimes he wanted to tell Dillon how amazing he was, make sure he knew that Ziggy wanted him around, but he also didn't wanna freak him out and push him away.

"What's the matter, Zig?"

Dillon was asking him that too much lately. It was the same dilemma again, he wanted to say 'l'm lonely' but he didn't want to say too much, didn't want Dillon to think he was being clingy or anything.

"It's kinda weird with the base being empty. I'm just bored, I guess."

"Missing the Doc?"

That wasn't the problem at all, but Ziggy couldn't admit it out loud, it sounded too cold, too selfish, so he shrugged non-commitally.

Dillon watched him for a second, and then seemed to make a decision.

"You could stay over if you want."

The offer took him by surprise, it was the last thing he expected from Dillon.

"Really? That sounds great."

"Cool," Dillon smiled. "It's settled then."

A Scottish voice issued from the kitchen.

"Can I stay over too?" Flynn teased.

"Nice try mate," Dillon laughed. "We'll see you tomorrow."

\---

"So," Ziggy said, looking a little confused. "Should I sleep on the couch...?"

The whole point of inviting Ziggy to stay was because Dillon didn't like thinking of him all alone. He wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed being by himself.

"Bunk in with me," he suggested. Ziggy's eyes went wide. "If you want," Dillon amended, hoping he hadn't messed up.

"You really want me to?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't. C'mon," Dillon said, throwing an arm around his best friend. "It's been a while since we hung out."

"You're right about that," Ziggy smiled, letting himself be led to Dillon's room.

"Make yourself at home," Dillon offered. "I just gotta check T has everything she needs."

He found her already tucked in. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, still in awe after all this time that he had her back.

"All good, T?"

"Yes," she smiled at him. "I'm actually really starting to like this place."

It wasn't hard to guess why.

"I'm happy for you. Flynn's a good guy."

"I know."

He gave her hand a squeeze and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Goodnight, sis."

When he got back, Ziggy was stretched out on the bed, shoes and jacket thrown off.

"Which side's yours?"

"Near the door. Closer to T in case she needs me."

"Makes sense," Ziggy agreed, wriggling over to make room. Dillon laid down beside him.

This was kinda nice, he'd always felt most at ease with Ziggy, had trusted him since the beginning.

He would have been happy to just lay there, knowing Ziggy was close, but Zig liked silence to be filled.

"Want me to do some shadow puppets?"

Dillon had to laugh, thinking back on their prison days and Ziggy's shenanigans.

"Yeah, go on then."

"Prepare to be amazed," Ziggy announced, stretching his arms up and cracking his knuckles.

The lamplight from beside the bed made big shadows on the ceiling.

Ziggy started with easy things like a dog, a duck, a rabbit. Then he made a horse, complete with four legs and a tail.

"For you," Ziggy offered, making the horse rear up on its hind legs. Admittedly it was kinda clever, Dillon didn't really know how Ziggy made all those shapes.

"That's pretty neat."

"But he needs a rider," Ziggy decided, breaking the puppet and grabbing Dillon's wrist. "Just put your hand there..."

For a minute Ziggy tried to manipulate his fingers to help create the picture, but it was never gonna work and all Dillon could do was laugh.

On top of having no natural talent for shadow puppet creation, he was pretty tired after a long day of work.

Giving up, he rolled onto his side, throwing his leg over Ziggy's and slinging an arm across his chest.

"You're the best, Zig."

"So you finally noticed," Ziggy preened, complete with silly voice and head jiggle.

Dillon snuggled in closer, nestling his face into Ziggy's neck, catching a soothing whiff of Macho Musk.

"Nah, I always knew that."

"You did?"

Of course he did, but Dillon was too tired to get into another D&M.

"Goodnight, Zig."

And the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was Ziggy's hands fastening around his arm and a soft 'goodnight' murmured into his hair.


	7. Chapter 7

"Have you ever been on a horse before?" Axle asked as soon as Dillon showed up at work.

"Nope."

"Well prepare," the trainer said, handing a helmet to him. "One of the strappers is off sick today, and I can't run Boberino and Ranger Green."

Axle seriously wanted him to ride one of these things? But then it clicked what Axle had said.

"Wait, Ranger Green?"

"Yeah, Scruff's racing name."

Dillon's mind was blown, this whole time...

"Are you telling me, Fresno Bob named a racehorse after Ziggy Grover? And that I've been hanging out with that horse all this time?"

"Yeah..." Axle confirmed a little uncertainly.

"Woah."

"Oh that's right. You're friends with Ziggy, aren't you?"

"Yeah. He was the first person I knew in Corinth."

"Well, he saved the boss's life, so he got a horse named after him. Ready?"

He didn't know how to prepare for something he knew nothing about and had never done before, but it had to beat mucking out stalls.

"As I'll ever be."

Once Scruff was tacked up, Dillon hauled himself up into the saddle. It was tricker than it looked, and higher than he expected. Though it wasn't a big deal, not when he'd spent months riding around in megazords.

"Okay, grab the reins like that," Axle instructed, showing him the correct way to hold them. "This is how you steer him. Kick to make him go, and pull to make him stop. Any questions?"

There really had to be more to it than that, but Dillon just went with it, figuring he'd pick it up as he went.

"No."

"Okay, let's go then."

Scruff did this every day, the routine was familiar to him, which meant Dillon didn't have to work too hard to get him to cooperate.

They walked a few circles first so he could get used to the feeling of being on horseback, and then Axle turned a grin on him.

"Ready?"

So far it all felt pretty natural, he knew Scruff, could anticipate some of what he was going to do, and he liked the feeling of working together with him.

"Yep."

Axle flipped his reins and gave his horse and gentle nudge in the ribs, coaxing him into a canter. Dillon copied the actions and Scruff took off after his stable mate.

He had one moment where he thought he might fall off, but he held on and settled into the rhythm. It was a bit of a weird feeling, but liberating too. He was quick himself, and he liked driving the Fury fast, but this was like being a driver and a passenger at the same time. He could control it to some degree, but he also had to let go and trust too.

"Make more sense why we do this now?" Axle called to him.

"For sure," Dillon grinned back.

They put the horses through their exercise routine, Dillon following Axle's lead.

"You have a natural talent for it," Axle told him once they were back at the stables. "I could talk to the boss about a promotion."

"Really?" Dillon said excitedly, he thought he could get used to starting his days like this.

"Sure. In the meantime though, rub them down and clean the tack."

"Sure thing," Dillon happily agreed.

\---

Just before he'd left for the day, Axle had come back to tell him that Fresno Bob was all for it. Things were really looking up.

The second he walked in the door at home he scooped Tenaya up in a hug and spun her around.

"I got a promotion," he told her.

"Dillon, that's great!" she hugged back.

"It is," he agreed. "Better pay, better work."

"That's awesome, Dillon," Ziggy offered. Dillon had forgotten he was here, hanging out with Tenaya while Flynn and his dad did some installation work, but it was really good to see him, to be able to share this moment with him too. Dillon wrapped him up in a hug as well. He was savouring the feeling of having Ziggy close, not at all intending to let go just yet, when Ziggy pushed him back.

"You stink," he announced, wrinkling his nose.

He knew it was true, a mixture of sweat, dust, horse, hay and poop. Still, he looked over at Tenaya to back him up, but she just smiled.

"I wasn't gonna say anything."

"Fine," he relented. "I'll grab a shower."

He turned back to Ziggy.

"You'll still be here when I'm done?"

"Um, sure. K's still outta town."

"Cool," Dillon said, heading off to wash up.

They had dinner, cooked by Ziggy, and then Flynn came over to hang out for a bit. They watched a movie, some musical Ziggy picked because he figured Tenaya could enjoy it too. It wasn't really Dillon's thing, but the others all seemed to get a kick out of it and that was the most important thing to him, knowing that his friends and family were happy.

When the movie wrapped up, Flynn headed home, and Dillon made sure Tenaya was settled.

"You gonna ask Ziggy to stay again?" she smirked.

"Probably," he shrugged. "There's not much point him going back to the empty base. You don't mind?"

"No Dillon," she said, smiling wider. "I don't mind."

"Okay," he nodded. It was good that his friends and Tenaya could all get along so well. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Dillon."

He found Zig still sitting on the couch, finishing the last of the popcorn.

"Staying?"

"Okay."

It was a semi-familiar routine now, Ziggy had stayed over a few times while the Doc was out at Omega City.

"When's the Doc back?" Dillon asked as they threw off their outer layers and hopped into bed.

"This weekend. School goes back Monday."

"Looking forward to it?"

"Sure, the kids always keep things interesting. This one kid-"

"I meant the Doc coming back..."

He knew that Ziggy had been having some issues with his relationship, and it would have been easier to avoid it, but he wanted to check how his friend was doing. Bringing this stuff up when it was just the two of them felt the most appropriate.

"Oh. I think so. Maybe all we needed was a bit of a break."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

"Something like that..." Ziggy mumbled.

Ever since they'd come back to Corinth, Ziggy was more restrained than Dillon remembered him being. Like maybe he was holding things back. Just because Dillon was busy these days, he didn't want Ziggy to think he was any less important to him.

"You know you can talk to me, right? About anything. You're my best friend. If I can fix it, I will."

Ziggy looked over at him as though he'd just said something incredible. To Dillon, it was just the truth. Okay, maybe once upon a time he wouldn't have offered, but things had changed since they'd saved the world together. He wanted Ziggy to know he was here for him.

"Letting me be here is enough," Ziggy eventually said.

It was weird, but Dillon kinda knew what he meant, just being together was like a load off sometimes.

He reached over and gave Ziggy's hair a ruffle.

"Night, Zig," he smiled.

Ziggy smiled back and closed his eyes.

\---

Dillon slept pretty well these days. Since the antidote, he hadn't been anxious about being part machine, and the daily physical labour wore him out. When he woke in the middle of the night, it was because Ziggy was restless.

He was whimpering in his sleep, tossing about a little, obviously having a nightmare.

"Zig," Dillon whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. "Zig, wake up."

Ziggy woke with a gasp, eyes darting around in fear.

"Zig, it's okay. It was just a nightmare."

Ziggy didn't say anything, which was unusual for him. He just rolled onto his side and curled into Dillon. Knowing how personal and frightening nightmares could be, he didn't question it. Ziggy would talk about it if he wanted to. Instead he just wrapped Ziggy up and told him everything would be okay. He believed that, because as long as they all stuck together, it would be.


	8. Chapter 8

Now that Doc K was back in town, they didn't see as much of Ziggy. It was okay, they all had their own lives, but Dillon did miss having him around. He always made things brighter.

Even his sister seemed a little down.

"What are you thinking about, Tenaya?"

She turned her face up towards him, but she didn't really look at him anymore.

"After Venjix, when we went out into the wastelands. You remember that field of yellow flowers?"

"Yeah..."

"They were beautiful, and despite everything Venjix did to me, without all that, I never would have seen them."

He didn't know what to say. Her vision was almost lost again. When she'd just been blind, she hadn't really known what she was missing, but now it was a real loss.

He sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her.

"You know I'd do anything I could to fix you."

"I know. I'm not complaining. Just thinking. Part of what I miss about seeing is the physicality. When I could see, I didn't have to be so careful all the time. I could fight. I could run."

Suddenly, Dillon had an idea. He couldn't believe it had taken him this long to think of it.

"Come on," he said, helping her up.

"Where are were going?" she wondered.

"I have a surprise for you."

He took her to the racetrack. Even without her sight, she guessed where they were. She probably knew the smell of the stables almost as well as he did from living with him, especially now that she had to rely on her other senses so much.

"This is where you work."

"It is," he confirmed, leading her to Scruff's stable. He had been working with Scruff long enough now to know and trust him as much as any human.

"Come here boy," he coaxed, enticing the horse over with a handful of oats. Scruff happily crunched them up.

"He chews louder than you," Tenaya teased.

"Very funny. Want to pat him?"

She nodded.

He guided her hand to the horse's nose, speaking gently to soothe them both.

"There you go..."

"It's so soft," she said, smiling at the unexpected texture.

Scruff went still, like he knew he needed to be extra careful with this person.

"Wanna hop on?"

"Ride a horse?" she laughed nervously.

"Maybe just sit on him today, we won't leave the stall."

His sister trusted him, so she agreed. He opened the door and lead her in.

"Just grab his mane," Dillon directed, guiding her hand into the course hair. "It's okay, you won't hurt him."

She tightened her grip.

"Now, I'm gonna boost you up and you swing your leg over."

Her eyes were bad, but she was part machine like him, still fit and strong in every other way, and she managed it easily.

"Comfortable?"

She nodded.

"And what do you think, Scruff? Is she too heavy? Zig feeds us well."

"Hey!" Tenaya protested with a laugh.

Scruff whinnied in reply.

The thing about horses was that they had eyes of their own. And despite being a little nervous, Tenaya looked comfortable enough on Scruff's back.

"If you want, I can teach you to ride."

The suggestion caught her by surprise. He knew she would want to, but there were a lot of things she couldn't do anymore because of her blindness.

"He can see for you," Dillon encouraged. "You'll feel free again."

"Okay," she nodded, allowing herself a tentative smile. "I think I'd like that."

"Good. Ready to hop down?" he checked.

She nodded and he lifted her off, guiding her out of the stall and locking the gate behind them.

"I need to talk to Axle first, but he'll be okay with it."

"Only if it's no trouble, Dillon."

"T, you're never any trouble."

"We both know that's not true," she grinned.

"Maybe," he agreed, wrapping her up in a hug. "But I love you anyway."

\---

On his day off Dillon decided to take the Fury and pick Ziggy up to go for a ride. Maybe they could even go for a spin outside the city for old times' sake.

Tenaya was with Flynn for the day, so Dillon didn't feel guilty about taking some time for himself.

He pulled up in the garage beside Scott's racer.

Ziggy was there, shooting pool alone.

"Makes you a winner either way, right?" Dillon teased.

Ziggy looked up at him, the smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"Scott here?" Dillon checked.

"Yeah. He's talking over the civilian transfers with Doc K."

"They need help?"

"No, they're just going over checklists and supply inventories. Triple checking that they've thought of everything. Did you know Scott and Summer are dating now? Must be something in the water out there at Omega City, huh?"

Admittedly, the news came as a bit of a surprise, but it didn't bother him at all. All it meant was that his friends were happy and that was the only thing he wanted for them.

"Guess so. Wanna come for a spin?"

Ziggy eyed him thoughtfully for a second longer, then laid down the cue.

"Sure."

Dillon put the Fury through her paces, it had been a while since he'd driven just for the thrill of it.

They ended up in the woods outside the city.

"Remember this place?"

"Of course," Ziggy answered. "It's where our story began."

Dillon gave Ziggy a smile. Who knew such a chance encounter would change his life so dramatically? And so much for the better.

The place was a little different now, thriving with more life. He bent down and picked a pretty purple flower, lifting it to his nose. It smelled sweet; he would give it to Tenaya.

Ziggy was leaning against the hood, lost in thought. Dillon walked over and leaned next to him, twirling the flower.

"Want one for the Doc?"

Judging by the way they'd left without a word earlier, things still weren't great.

Ziggy shook his head.

"We broke up."

"Oh Zig, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's a relief."

He didn't look relieved.

"Then why are you so sad?"

It wasn't just a question about today, it was a question about Ziggy's mood in general. He'd been a little down ever since Dillon had come back to Corinth if they were both being honest.

He looked over at Dillon with those big, brown eyes, silently pleading with him to understand something. Dillon loved Ziggy, and wanted to do anything he could to make this right, but he still couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"It doesn't matter," Ziggy sighed in the end, standing up. "Let's go."

Just because he was bad at this feelings stuff, Dillon didn't want Ziggy to think he didn't care. That couldn't be further from the truth.

"Zig, wait."

Ziggy turned to him and Dillon did the only thing he could think of. He pulled Ziggy into a hug.

At first Ziggy was stiff in his arms, but gradually he relaxed until he was holding on too.

"I'm always here for you, Zig. Whatever you need. No matter what."

Ziggy leaned back and gave him a little smile.

"Thanks, Dillon."

Dillon gave his shoulder an extra squeeze, then handed him the flower.

"Hold this for me?"

Ziggy took it from his hand, fingers lightly brushing against Dillon's, and for a second he had a crazy thought that maybe the flower wasn't for Tenaya after all.

\---

"What's Dillon up to today?" Flynn asked.

"He wanted to go driving with Ziggy," Tenaya answered.

"Cool," Flynn shrugged.

She wanted to know what he really thought about the relationship between her brother and Ziggy. She hadn't been there to witness the start of it, but he had.

"Have you noticed anything different between them lately?"

"Like what?" Flynn wondered, sounding adorably clueless. Men could be so hopeless sometimes, she didn't need eyes to see what was going on between her brother and his best friend.

"Nothing," she dismissed, it wasn't her place to force the issue. "I just wondered if they were always this close."

"Oh yeah. Dillon saved Ziggy. He's always been pretty protective of him. Put up with a lot more of his hyperactivity than the rest of us too."

"What about Ziggy?"

"He idolises Dillon. He was always going on about their 'special bond'. Do you think something's happened between them? I mean, I guess Ziggy has been a bit more subdued lately."

"No, I don't think anything's happened..." And therein lie the problem.

\---

"Here," Ziggy said when they got back to the base, holding out the flower, but Dillon didn't have the heart to take it from him. He pushed it back towards his best friend.

"Keep it."

Ziggy looked up at him, something sad in his eyes. He was so… something. Dillon couldn't think of the right word, but it meant he didn't know how the Doc could give him up. But maybe that wasn't fair, maybe Ziggy had called it quits. Either way, Dillon didn't want him to feel alone.

"Remember what I said, Zig. You're welcome anytime."

\---

Dillon walked into the shop, to the sound of laughter. It was awesome to know that Tenaya could still be this happy despite her setbacks.

"Hey guys," he greeted.

They both turned to him with smiles.

"How was the drive?" Tenaya questioned.

"Fine," Dillon shrugged. "Are you ready to go?"

"I guess so," she allowed, sharing a kiss with Flynn before letting him go.

It was kind of gross, but kind of nice too, to know she had someone that she wanted to be with so much.

"Thanks, Flynn," Dillon said.

"A pleasure as always," Flynn smiled, just as crazy happy as Tenaya was.

She took his arm and they began the short walk home.

"Hey T, how do you know Flynn's the one?"

"He makes me laugh. He takes care of me. He accepts me as I am."

She could be talking about him and Ziggy. He wanted to know what made it special.

"What else?"

"There needs to be more?" she said with a wry smile.

"I guess I'm just trying to figure out why Summer wasn't that for me."

"Well, when I'm with him, there's nowhere I'd rather be."

"Not even with me?"

"No Dillon, not even you."

It wasn't mean, just honest, and the thing about it was that he kinda knew what she meant. Sometimes when he was with Ziggy it was like the rest of the world faded away and that was okay. Did that mean...?

For a second he had half a mind to run to the base right now and say something to Ziggy. To find out if it was true. But what would he say? And what if it wasn't? What if he had it all wrong? It wasn't something he could go into lightly, Ziggy meant too much to him.

Tenaya patted his arm.

"Don't worry, Dillon. You'll find someone. Who knows? Maybe they're right in front of you already."


	9. Chapter 9

The next time Ziggy came over, Dillon couldn't help feeling a little weird.

Ziggy was single and he was single and neither of their relationships had worked out. Dillon cared about Summer, but he didn't miss her much. Ziggy though, being away from him had been hard. And if he lost him now? Well, Dillon didn't even wanna think about that. Still, were they missing an opportunity here? Or was he being totally stupid? Maybe they just needed to take some time and hang out as friends now that Ziggy was free.

"You guys should come to the track," he said to Ziggy and Flynn. "See what T can do."

He'd taken her back a few times, Axle had been great about letting her ride the horses for pleasure, and she was confident enough now to hold the reins herself.

"That'd be great," Flynn agreed immediately, grinning at his girlfriend.

"Zig?" It was a little bit pathetic how badly Dillon wanted him to say yes.

"You think Fresno Bob would be okay with that?"

If Ziggy was worried Bob didn't want him there, it was needless.

"Oh man, didn't I tell you? He named one of the horses after you. Ranger Green's first race is coming up in a couple of weeks."

"Seriously?" Ziggy grinned. "Well I mean, I did save his life. Of course he'd want to honour that."

And for a second, Dillon saw a glimpse of the old Ziggy, fun and confident.

"So you'll come?"

"I'd love to."

"Awesome."

\---

"What do you think?" Tenaya asked Flynn as they stood out on the front stoop to say goodnight.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do," he told her.

"That's sweet," she allowed, pressing a kiss to his lips. "But I meant about Dillon and Ziggy..."

"What about them?"

"You didn't notice how nervous Dillon was? Or how careful Ziggy is?"

"No... I mean they've always been pretty weird with each other... Wait, you don't think they've got the hots for each other, do you?"

Tenaya grinned.

"That's exactly what I think."

Flynn sounded as though he could hardly believe it.

"I mean, Ziggy maybe. But Dillon? No way."

"Why not? He adores Ziggy."

"It's not the word I would use..."

"What if I told you they share a bed?"

"They what?"

"It's true. When Ziggy stays over, he bunks in with Dillon."

"They are friends, I guess."

"Would you share a bed with either of them?"

"Fair point. But say it is true, what are they waiting for? They must know it wouldn't bother us."

"Well," Tenaya said. "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?"

\---

Seeing Tenaya on horseback, having the freedom to move like she wanted, made Dillon happy beyond words. She was good with the horses, they responded to her, and her confidence had grown quickly.

She was riding Scruff like usual, while Flynn and Ziggy watched from the other side of the rail.

As for Dillon, Axle had asked him to take one of the new horses out today. That's why he didn't anticipate it when the horse spooked and threw him off.

He hit the ground hard but was pretty sure nothing was broken. He'd hit the ground plenty of times when they were fighting Venjix to know that.

He heard Ziggy yell his name and then he was jumping the fence, running as fast as he could across the turf.

He dropped down beside Dillon and grabbed his arm.

"Dillon, are you okay?"

Admittedly, it had been a while since he'd taken a hit, and he didn't have a Ranger suit to absorb the impact, but it was embarrassing more than anything.

He was more worried about Tenaya if Scruff had been spooked by the fall.

"Tenaya?"

"She's fine. You're the one that fell."

"I'm okay," he assured, attempting to stand. One of his legs was a little sore and he stumbled a tiny bit, but it was nothing really, something he could walk off.

"Dillon," Ziggy said, grasping him firmly to hold him steady. Standing there in the grass, he turned to Ziggy, immediately registering the fear on his face.

"Zig, I'm okay. It's okay. I promise. Grinders pack way more of a punch than that."

The reminder worked, Ziggy blinked, cleared his throat and stepped back.

"I wasn't worried."

"Good," Dillon nodded, smiling. "I didn't think you were..."

By this time a few others had gathered, including Axle who was grinning at him.

"You know what they say, you're not a real rider until you've fallen off thirteen times. Only twelve to go."

"Thanks," Dillon said, brushing himself off. "But I think I'll pass." He really didn't need to go through that humiliation a dozen more times.

\---

His leg was smarting a bit when they got home, and upon investigation he discovered a hoof-shaped bruise on his thigh.

"That damn horse stomped on me," he announced to the room in general as he reappeared from the bathroom after taking a shower.

"What did you think happened?" Ziggy frowned.

"I fell off."

"And then it trampled you."

"It all happened pretty fast," Dillon shrugged.

"Are you okay?" Tenaya checked.

"Fine," he assured them both, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Kinda stole your thunder though, hey sis?"

"It was pretty rude," she smiled at him. "But I think I'll survive."

He gave her hand a squeeze.

Ziggy served out the food as usual, their nightly routine had become pretty familiar now. Whenever Ziggy came over he cooked, it was something he liked to do and neither Dillon or Tenaya were complaining, Ziggy was a much better cook than either of them.

Dillon stuck a forkful of lasagne in his mouth. It was delicious.

"You've done it again, Zig."

And while it was true that the food was good, the smile Ziggy sent his way was even better.

\---

Now that the Power Rangers were retired, and he had broken up with Doc K, Ziggy didn't really have anywhere he belonged. The base didn't feel much like home anymore, but the thing was he didn't really have anywhere else to go, it wasn't like he could go back to the cartel, so leaving didn't make much sense either. Everyone else had managed to move on, find somewhere new, but Ziggy felt lost. The best nights were always the ones he spent at Dillon and Tenaya's place and sometimes he just wanted to give in and ask; 'can't I just stay here?'

But he knew Dillon, knew that he had always liked his own space, so he held back, not wanting to push the friendship, no matter how much the distance pained him. Losing Dillon altogether would be so much worse.

He also knew that Dillon had a tendency to downplay things that were bothering him. Like getting stomped on by a horse.

They were getting ready for bed, like they always did on the nights he stayed over, when he noticed Dillon wince before sitting down on the edge of the bed to examine his bruise.

Ziggy knew Dillon wouldn't say, but he wanted to know how bad it really was. It had been scary seeing him get thrown like that.

"Can I see?"

"What?" Dillon asked, looking up at him in the lamplight. Ziggy rounded the end of the bed, stopping so he was standing right in front of Dillon, looking him in the eye.

"Your leg. Can I see?"

Dillon stared back silently, then he angled his leg so Ziggy could see the huge purple bruise on the outside of his thigh just above his right knee. It looked terrible and Ziggy crouched down in front of him to get a better look.

"Does it hurt?" he wondered, leaning in and steadying himself.

"A little..." Dillon answered, something hitching in his voice. It was only then that Ziggy realised that his hand was on Dillon's knee.

Maybe he should have pulled away, but he didn't want to. He didn't exactly know what he wanted, only that he wanted to stay close to his best friend. Things had always been a little tricky with Dillon, and Ziggy had always found using humour a good way to reach him.

He forced a smile onto his face, going with the tactic that he'd succeeded with in the past.

"Want me to kiss it better?"

Dillon didn't say anything, and Ziggy looked up to see him just staring down in shock. Maybe it had been a stupid thing to say, things had definitely changed between them since Dillon got back. Maybe jokes didn't work anymore.

He stood up and took a step back, not wanting to make things too awkward between them. Dillon still hadn't said anything.

"Should we get Doctor K to do some scans?" Ziggy wondered. "Make sure the mechanical parts of you aren't damaged or anything?"

K hadn't exactly been happy when he'd broken up with her, but he knew they still cared about each other, and that she would always do her best to help any of the Rangers.

"It's not that bad," Dillon quickly said, grabbing his pyjama pants and pulling them on.

Ziggy wasn't exactly sure what was going on here. Dillon seemed kinda nervous which was very unlike him.

"I can go if you want...?"

"No, don't go," Dillon said, grabbing his wrist. "I always want you around."

"Really?" Ziggy wondered. Sometimes Dillon had a funny way of showing it.

"Course, Zig. Come to bed."

Ziggy took off his jacket and then laid down.

Laying there beside his best friend, his best friend who was the most important thing in the world to him, Ziggy wasn't sure what to do next. He had always played the clown to Dillon's brooding bad boy, but he thought that maybe he didn't wanna be thought of as a joke anymore.

Everyone else had grown and changed since their Rangers days, and Ziggy didn't want to be left behind. And what if, just maybe, he and Dillon could move forward together? Because one thing he knew for certain was that whatever direction his life took, he wanted Dillon to be part of it.

"Do me some shadow puppets?" Dillon prompted.

"Okay," Ziggy agreed, glad that Dillon was with him. "What do you want?"

"Not a horse," Dillon replied.

"Alright," Ziggy laughed. "I'll try something new."


	10. Chapter 10

Brushing the horses was a part of the job Dillon liked, not only because it was a chance to work with the animals, but because it was something he and Tenaya could do together. Of course he would never leave her alone with them, but she didn't need to be able to see to do this job well.

They made sure to do an extra fine job on Scruff who was running his first race tomorrow.

"There you go, boy," Dillon said, patting the horse on the neck. "Looking good."

Scruff nickered and tossed his head.

"He knows he's hot stuff," Tenaya smiled.

"He's totally gonna win tomorrow," Dillon said. "Aren't you, buddy?"

Scruff neighed in agreement.

They exited the stall and were in the tack room tidying up, when an unexpected visitor arrived.

"Flynn informed me I might find you both here."

"Doc?" Dillon said, surprised to see her at the track. She didn't look too impressed with the surroundings, and he guessed the smell of the stables did take a bit of getting used to. "What brings you here?" He hoped nothing was wrong.

She launched into an explanation without preamble.

"Based on Tenaya's scans and some of the Venjix tech we took during the war, I've been working on a solution. I believe if I reconfigure Tenaya's implants I can bypass the optic nerve and connect them to another part of her brain which senses temperature. She wouldn't be able to 'see' in the conventional sense of the word, but she would detect heat signatures which would paint a thermal map in her mind. It would mean she could 'see' shapes and movement. She would be able to walk around someone in the street and not bump into them, or know if someone was in a room when she entered before they spoke. If she turned a tap on, she could see the temperature of the water. A great deal of her independence would be regained. What do you think?"

They both stood there silently for a minute, shocked by this sudden announcement.

"What are the risks?" Tenaya sensibly asked.

"Only that it might not work. Or that you won't adjust to the sensory input. It could be too much. I can't guarantee what the exact outcome will be, but I do believe there's a very good chance it will enhance your ability to function unassisted."

Tenaya turned her face to him. She wanted his opinion, but he couldn't make this decision for her. All he could do was continue to support her.

"I'm with you T, whatever you want."

Before she could make a decision, Axle interrupted.

"Dillon, I need you to polish the saddles. Everything has to be perfect for tomorrow."

He didn't wanna leave Tenaya right now, but he couldn't really refuse. Axle was his boss, and he was doing them both a favour by letting Tenaya be here.

Dillon turned to his sister.

"You'll be okay for a bit, T?"

"I'll be fine, Dillon."

He left with Axle, giving the girls a chance to discuss details.

"Who was that?" the trainer asked him.

"Doctor K. She came to talk to Tenaya about her eyes. She thinks maybe she can help."

Axle looked impressed.

"Beautiful and smart."

"Yeah, she's the smartest person I've ever... Wait, what?"

"Is she single?"

"Yeah..."

"Good," Axle nodded, dumping a couple of saddles into Dillon's arms. "Now, these saddles aren't gonna polish themselves."

\---

It wasn't until after Dillon's shift finished that they got a chance to discuss what had happened.

Tenaya wasn't sure what to think, it was all so fast. This morning she had been prepared to face the rest of her life blind, and now there was a chance she might see again. But it was an experimental procedure, and her vision wasn't going to be the same even if it did work.

Dillon helped her into the car. He had been an incredible support to her, not only when her vision had begun to fail, but ever since they'd reconnected. She honestly didn't know how she would have coped without him and she knew whatever happened, he would be there for her. It was her love for him that, in part, helped her decide. She wanted so many good things for him, and if he was holding back with Ziggy because he thought he couldn't give both relationships the time they needed, she wanted to remove that problem. She never wanted to hold him back and becoming independent would make sure of that.

"Did you make a decision?" Dillon asked.

Tenaya nodded.

"I want my independence. I'm going to let her try."

"Okay, T. We'll give it a go."

She smiled, a little nervous, but mostly eager to get it done and hopefully get on with her life. Dillon too.

He reached over a gave her hand a squeeze.

"And just so know, whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," she answered. She really couldn't have asked for a better brother.

\---

The following day they all went to the races. Even Doc K put in an appearance. Dillon, Tenaya and Flynn arrived at the same time, meeting up with Ziggy and the Doc. Things were getting better between the two, they were back to an awkward friendship like they'd had when Ziggy first joined the Rangers. The reason for the awkwardness was different now, but it felt more natural to Dillon. The Doc had never been right for Zig.

Because it was race day, they'd all dressed up. Dillon and Flynn had gone with simple black suits. Tenaya wore a burgundy dress, and Doc K had even switched out her usual black dress and straw hat for something a bit more stylish. She seemed to be looking for someone, but he didn't have time to wonder who because when Dillon saw Ziggy, everything else dissolved.

Ziggy was kitted out in a super skinny, dark green tux. The slim fitting suit hugged his light frame, not in the utilitarian way the ranger suit had, but artfully showing off how lean and... _beautiful_ he was. Under the jacket he wore a simple black tee-shirt, his hair was artfully mussed as always, and honestly he looked a million bucks, topping the whole thing off with a silver stud in his right ear.

"Zig, you look incredible."

Ziggy beamed a bright smile at him.

"This old thing?"

Dillon laughed.

"I don't buy for a second that every inch of you isn't calculated to look as good as possible."

Ziggy gave him a knowing smirk.

"Gotta support my namesake, right?" he said, running his hand over the front of his jacket. "It's jasper green and I really like these black lapels."

Dillon really liked everything about it.

"Yeah, perfect," Dillon agreed, unable to stop himself from reaching out and gliding his hand down the front of Ziggy's jacket.

He wanted to do more than that, and if they had been alone, not in the middle of a crowd, he might have even done it. Pulled Ziggy in and...

"Dillon," Flynn interrupted, breaking the moment. "What number race is it again? We want to have a bet."

"Umm," he said, taking a second to refocus. "Three. Race three."

"Thanks," Flynn said, leading Tenaya away to the bookmaker's ring.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Ziggy offered.

"This really is old," Dillon admitted. "I recycled it from Summer's almost-wedding."

"Maybe I should've done that too and saved some cash."

"No. No, it was definitely worth every penny. Besides, you can win it all back today anyway."

Ziggy smiled at him. It had been a while since Ziggy had been this free with his smiles and Dillon liked it. A lot.

"It better be a good tip, Dillon."

"It is. He's a champion. How can he not be with a name like Ranger Green."?

"Well," Ziggy preened. "You've got that right."

\---

They were only one race into the program when a hassled looking Axle appeared in the crowd.

"Dillon, you have to come now."

He had the day off, Axle had insisted that he'd earned it, and there were more experienced staff to handle the horses on race day. The only condition Axle had put on it, was that he was to make sure he invited _all_ of his friends.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught Doc K fixing her hair, Axle flashed her a smile and turned back to Dillon.

"What's wrong?" Dillon asked.

"It's Scruff. He won't settle. Think you can get him to the barrier?"

As much as he didn't wanna leave his friends, he had to do this.

"Sure," he nodded. He wasn't about to let stage fright ruin Scruff's chances, not to mention Fresno Bob might send him off to the glue factory if he wouldn't race.

Dillon followed Axle to the stables. He didn't have time to get changed, so he settled for throwing off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

Axle was right, Scruff was unsettled. He approached the nervous horse, speaking soft and soothingly.

"What's the matter, buddy? We talked about this..." he said, laying a hand on Scruff's neck and giving him a couple of pats. Scruff tossed his head and snorted. "Come on, that's enough of that. What's the matter?"

After a couple of minutes, when he was satisfied that Scruff was calmer, he pulled himself up into the saddle. For the next little while he ran the horse through a couple of exercises he was familiar with to work out the tension.

"How's he doing?" Axle called up to him.

"Better," Dillon replied, giving Scruff a couple of soft slaps on the neck.

He hopped off and handed the reins to Axle.

"I'll go saddle one of the others," he offered. "Ride with him until he's in the barrier."

"Thanks, Dillon."

\---

By the time he got back to his friends, they were collecting their race three winnings.

Ziggy's look caught him all over again, he looked so perfect, while Dillon's own clothes were now covered in horsehair and dust.

They all congratulated him, some with hugs, including Ziggy. He smelled of Macho Musk, and Dillon might have held on a little longer than was strictly necessary.

Corinth didn't have a huge race industry, so the program was short. It was a miracle that something like this had survived Venjix. Really it was only made possible because it was funded by the cartels who hadn't let a little thing like an apocalyptic computer virus alter the way they did business.

They all hung out together for the final two races, but Dillon missed most of what was happening on the track because he couldn't take his eyes off Ziggy.

"We're gonna head home," Flynn announced, his arm around Tenaya.

"Thanks for coming guys," Dillon said. Their support meant a lot.

"We wouldn't have missed it," Tenaya said, reaching her hand out for him. He leaned in and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then she spoke softly, just for him. "Make sure to see what's right in front of you."

"You want a lift back to base, Doc?" Flynn offered.

"No," she declined, glancing in Axle's direction. "I'm going to stay for a while, thank you."

Axle wasn't shy at all and stepped forward, offering the Doc his arm. She happily took it and they disappeared into the crowd.

Then that left the two of them. Ziggy looking like a movie star and Dillon covered in dust. Because of the state he was in, they couldn't go out anywhere nice, but he didn't wanna go home to get changed, not wanting to break the spell of the day.

"Wanna go for a drive?" he offered.

"Sure," Ziggy accepted.

They took the Fury up to the look out, parking where they could see the whole city.

Ziggy was gazing out over the sparkling lights of Corinth, but Dillon couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful person beside him. Taking Tenaya's advice wasn't hard.

"It's weird to think it's only here because of us," Ziggy said. "I never really thought I'd do anything important."

Dillon got it. It wasn't fishing for compliments, it wasn't self-pity, it was wonder, that they had achieved something so impossible. Something they'd only managed because of each other.

"Zig?" Ziggy turned to him in the near-darkness, brown eyes dark pools in the starlight, and Dillon didn't want to hold back anymore.

He moved forward, slid his fingers into Ziggy's hair and kissed him.

After all this time, after all the battles they'd fought, and the struggle to reclaim his memories, after all the searching and uncertainty, he felt like he'd come home. It was like everything finally made sense.

He drew back just enough to see Ziggy's face, kept a hand on his cheek, rubbed his thumb over the smile line near Ziggy's mouth.

Without Ziggy, he'd been lost.

"You didn't just save Corinth..."

Ziggy was staring back at him like he had found something too, like he finally had the answer to a long-held question, but it was too monumental to put into words.

"Dillon..." he breathed, almost like he was scared it wasn't possible to have something this good.

"I know," Dillon said. And then he pulled Ziggy back in for another kiss, before either of them could say anything that didn't really need to be said.


	11. Chapter 11

As much as he didn't want it to, the thing with Ziggy had to go on the back burner so he could focus on Tenaya's procedure. They were in Doc K's lab now.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, T," Dillon told his sister. She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I know."

Then he stepped aside to make room for Flynn.

"Love you," Flynn told Tenaya, bending down to press a quick kiss to her lips.

"Love you too," she told him.

Most likely they were worrying about nothing, but the Doc was gonna be messing around in T's head, and that was enough to make anyone anxious.

"This shouldn't take too long," Doctor K announced. "I'll come let you know when it's done."

That was her polite way of telling them to leave.

Flynn pressed one last kiss to Tenaya's hand, and then they got out of the Doc's way.

Dillon plonked himself down on the couch to wait, while Flynn busied himself with some tinkering in the garage so he didn't have to spend the whole time freaking out.

That's when Ziggy came downstairs.

Dillon wasn't sure what to do when he saw him. After their make out session, he had dropped Ziggy home and since then he'd had other things on his mind. He'd had to make sure everything was ready for Tenaya post-op, and she had needed some reassurance too.

His hesitation wasn't because he regretted what had happened with Ziggy, because he definitely didn't. It was just that he didn't know where they went from here. With Summer, he'd never questioned it, and that hadn't turned out great. He didn't even know if this was the start of something between him and Zig, or whether they'd just gotten carried away in the moment.

"Hey Dillon," Ziggy smiled at him.

"Hey Zig," he managed to smile back, too worried about Tenaya to make any calls about where he and Ziggy stood. Right now, all he wanted was his best friend.

"It's happening now?" Ziggy checked, sitting down on the couch beside him.

"Yeah," Dillon nodded.

Ziggy was here for him, he knew that, but he could see in his eyes too, the question about where they went from here. Were they just friends? Or was it something more than that? Ziggy didn't ask though, which Dillon was grateful for. They could have this conversation, but not now. It was something that deserved their full attention, it was too important to give anything less than that.

"She's gonna be fine," Ziggy assured him. "Doctor K knows what she's doing."

"I know." And he did, he trusted her. It's just that this was Tenaya and he couldn't help worrying when so many bad things had happened to her already.

Ziggy shuffled closer and pressed into Dillon's side, resting his chin on Dillon's shoulder, speaking softly into his ear.

"I'm always here for you too, you know..."

"Yeah, Zig," he said, squeezing the other boy's thigh. "I know that too."

"And I know you're worried about Tenaya, so we'll wait until she's better before we talk."

It was like Ziggy had read his mind. He kind of liked that, not having to explain everything with words because Ziggy knew him so well.

"Okay."

For the rest of the wait they just stayed close, and Flynn was too distracted to notice anything might have changed between them.

Eventually Doc K called them in.

"All done," she announced. They followed her back into the lab.

Tenaya was awake, but there was a bandage around her head.

"I've wrapped Tenaya's eyes up to limit sensory input until the new connections take properly. In a couple of days we'll unwrap it and know if the procedure has been successful."

Dillon was about to ask his sister how she was feeling, but Flynn beat him to it.

"How are you?"

"I feel okay," she said, sounding a little worn out, but she was brave, she would battle through.

"Thank you, Doc," Dillon said. "Are we good to go?"

"Bed rest for two days."

"Sure," Dillon agreed. He'd taken the time off work to be there for Tenaya.

"Okay," Flynn said, sliding his arms under Tenaya and lifting her up. "Let's get you home."

Dillon helped Flynn get Tenaya in the backseat of the Fury. When they were both in, he went to get in the driver's seat. Ziggy was watching it all and Dillon couldn't go without saying something to acknowledge how great he'd been.

"Come over anytime you want," he told Ziggy.

"I don't want to be a bother when Tenaya's..."

Dillon reached out and gave Ziggy's shoulder a squeeze.

"You're never a bother and it wasn't really a suggestion."

Ziggy gave him a little smile.

"Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," Dillon confirmed. He would be counting down the minutes.

\---

When Flynn first met Tenaya, she'd been the bad guy. A formidable foe, tough and sassy and in control. Then they had discovered she was Dillon's sister and things changed. She had helped them, bravely sacrificing her freedom to do it.

After the war, she'd been quieter, had followed Dillon's lead, and then when they'd come back to Corinth she had been more fragile and in need of help.

He had never been able to resist coming to the aid of others. If there was something he could do to make a situation better or easier for someone, he always did everything in his power to make it happen. Whether that was rescuing a kitten from a tree or fighting Venjix as the Blue Ranger to help save the world.

So the fact that Tenaya had needed help was certainly part of what drew him to her. He liked taking care of her. Then they had fallen in love and things had changed again. So at this point, he was used to changes in the dynamic of their relationship.

Now that she would likely be able-bodied again, she wouldn't need him as much. With her sight restored, she would be that capable, independent girl she had been before. Of course he wanted that for her, but it made him wonder where he fit in, and if things might be different between them once more.

Laying on the bed beside her, just being together, was enough for now, but would it continue to be?

He tightened his arm around her, speaking softly.

"Do you think this will change things?"

The hand she'd been stroking through his hair stopped.

"Do you?"

"I don't know. I guess I wondered if you might feel differently when you have more options."

She laughed softly, like she thought he was being silly. Maybe he was, but he had to know.

"I think I'm a little offended right now," she said.

Maybe he hadn't said that quite right.

"I'd hate to hold you back is all."

"Why would you?"

"I wouldn't mean to. But don't feel like you owe me anything."

"We don't even know if this will work," Tenaya pointed out, motioning towards her bandaged eyes.

"Doctor K knows what she's doing. I just don't want you to feel obligated."

"Flynn, stop," she said, shifting to bring her hands up to his face, the equivalent of a sighted person looking someone in the eye. "Of course things will be different, but me loving you won't be one of them."

Relieved, he smiled, knowing she would feel it.

"Anyway," she grinned. "The sexiest thing about you is your accent. Sight or no sight, that won't change."

"Now the truth comes out. You're only with me for my sexy Scottish brogue."

"Obviously," she laughed, moving her hands to frame his face the way she did when she was getting ready to kiss him. Pre-empting her, he leaned down and instigated the kiss. Pleased with the initiative, she smiled against mouth and kissed back. It was slow and firm, but gentle too.

Tenaya pulled back, keeping her hands on his face.

"I'm supposed to be on bed rest."

"We are in bed," he teased. He knew she had to take it easy and stay as still as possible for the next couple of days, so he helped her settle comfortably back on the pillows again. She looked delicate now, but she was going to be a force when she recovered. He was excited to see that, and for her to feel in control again.

"I love you," he told her. "Did I ever mention that?"

"Maybe once or twice," she smiled, coaxing him down to settle beside her again. "But feel free to mention it as often as you like."

"Noted," he said, holding her close again.

Her hand went back to his hair in soothing strokes.

"All the important things will stay the same," she assured.

He realised then that he had been naïve to think she might be the only one that had needs in this relationship, because Tenaya did just as much for him as he did for her. Like calling him out when he was being foolish.

"I love you," he told her again, glad that some things stayed the same. He never wanted to lose her.

\---

"Okay, Tenaya. I'm taking the bandage off now," Doctor K told her.

More than anything, Tenaya was excited to see if the procedure had worked. She knew she could live a fulfilling life without her sight, especially now that she had Flynn, but if she could regain her independence, she would feel like less of a burden to everyone.

"You can open your eyes now."

She did, and a cascade of colour poured into her vision.

Immediately she could see four other people in the room. Their skin, where they burned hottest, was tones of red, orange and green, their hair and clothes where they were colder, was different shades of blue.

"What do you see?" Dillon asked. He was standing beside Ziggy, watching her carefully. She knew how anxious he was for her to be okay.

She could see a lot more detail than she had anticipated. She could recognise each of their faces by sight. Even the room around them, the furniture, the walls, all showed variance in temperature which provided her with a complete picture of her surrounds.

"Pretty much everything."

That made Dillon very happy.

"I see your smile," she told him. It widened and he scooped her up in a tight hug.

"I'm so happy for you, T."

She hugged him back until he put her down.

"This is awesome," Flynn said, kissing her in turn.

They all thanked the Doc, who was glad her hypothesis had proved correct.

Ziggy congratulated Tenaya too, but she knew he was mostly here for Dillon. Not that they didn't get along, they did, she really liked Ziggy, but the bond he shared with her brother was something very special. And she didn't miss it when Ziggy's hand discreetly brushed against Dillon's and Dillon's cheeks flared from green to red.

"Thank you all, so much," Tenaya told them again. "You've made the last few months as smooth as possible and I wouldn't be here like this now without you all."

She meant that, they had all played their parts. Dillon was her rock, Ziggy had always looked out for them both and kept her spirits up. Doctor K had given her back her independence, and Flynn made it all worth the fight. Being here together at the end of this chapter, on the other side of another long battle, she knew it wasn't just Dillon that made up her family, but all of them. It was one of the important things that would never change.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly, I kinda forgot I was writing this story, but here is the final chapter. Enjoy :)

Dillon answered the knock at the door to find the Eagle Squad Commander standing there.

"Scott. Hey."

Dillon hadn't seen much of his former teammate, Scott was busy with the squad and spent a lot of time over in Omega City, but he still knew him well enough to know that Scott was in soldier mode.

"You here on business?"

Scott nodded.

"I'm finalising the bus transfers to Omega City. I need someone I can trust to drive. Think you can spare a few days?"

It was what he and Summer had always talked about, rebuilding the world. This was a huge step in achieving that and he wanted to be a part of it. Plus, it would be good to see Summer again and how far she'd come with the rebuild. He was proud of her living her dream and achieving her goals.

"Sure, Scott. Let me talk to Tenaya first, and I'll help you out if I can."

"Great. Looking forward to working with you again, Dillon."

\---

"Will you be okay if I go outta town for a few days?" Dillon asked his sister.

Since she had her sight back, she still worked with Flynn, but more on the hardware side of things, doing installs and whatnot. She was good at it, she could see hotspots in circuitry that might cause problems later on, and she was strong so working with heavy duty tools to re-establish infrastructure wasn't a problem for her. Still, she would always be his little sister.

Tenaya gave him one of those smiles that said he was worrying about nothing again.

"I'll be fine. Ziggy will miss you more than I will."

"What?" When did this conversation become about Ziggy?

She was smiling the exasperated smile now.

"What are you waiting for, Dillon?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You literally light up when he's around. And he's the same with you. But I knew that long before I could see it..."

Oh. She was telling him that he and Ziggy had actual physical reactions to being around each other. It made sense considering the way he felt around Ziggy. Still, he didn't know how to answer her question. It wasn't that he didn't want Ziggy, it was...

"What if I mess it up?"

She reached out and rested a hand on his arm, giving him a soft smile.

"Dillon, I think the more important question is, what if you don't?"

\---

It was instant, the way the butterflies went into a frenzy when Dillon showed up. Maybe this was it, maybe he was finally here to talk. Ziggy was almost bursting with his feelings, he wanted to just blurt it out, announce how in love he was, how he had been since the moment they met. But he knew better than to push Dillon, he was easily spooked when feelings were involved, so Ziggy squashed it all down. Again.

Still, Dillon had made an effort in coming to the base, so Ziggy dared to hope.

Dillon of course, was his usual uber cool self, and as much as he loved Dillon in leather, Ziggy couldn't help thinking about getting him out of it sometime soon. If the night up at the lookout was a preview of things to come, well it was gonna be...

"I'm going out of town for a few days," Dillon announced, dashing Ziggy's hopes once again. He steadied himself and remembered to have patience. It had taken a whole war for Dillon to build up to a hug after all. Those kisses must have taken a huge of effort.

"To Omega?" Ziggy presumed. He couldn't help being disappointed, more distance between them was the last thing he wanted.

"Yeah, Scott asked me to. Wanna come with?"

Ziggy brightened immediately. Being invited along made it different altogether. Maybe Dillon was planning something, maybe he wanted to take the next step out there, where it had all begun.

"Sure," Ziggy agreed, hope rekindled once again.

\---

Ziggy took advantage of his captive audience, stringing a sheet across the aisle and putting on a puppet show as they drove the new settlers across the wastelands towards Omega City.

It was incredible how Ziggy just being Ziggy could lift Dillon's mood without fail.

\---

Summer was there to greet them when they arrived in Omega City. Whatever Dillon had thought their reunion might be like, it wasn't, because Summer was so focused on the new settlers and making sure they all found their new homes alright.

For most of the afternoon, he and Ziggy helped haul supplies to storage and it was after dark by the time they had everything packed away.

Summer, K, the Eagle Squad and the military personnel that Colonel Truman had allocated to the project, had transformed one portion of the city into something habitable. Now that the city was going to be lived in, it would only be a matter of time before more of it was fixed up and others came to settle here. Summer had done it, the world was being reclaimed.

After all the work was done, they got a chance to hang out. Six of the seven rangers together again. Gem and Gemma asked after Flynn, and Dillon told them about how he was still busy with rebuilding the network, and about how good he had been to Tenaya.

He told Summer all about Tenaya's journey, how it had gotten worse, how they'd managed with her being blind again, and then how Doc K had come up with a solution that gave her back a big part of what she'd lost.

He had thought they might want some time alone to talk, but today he had seen all he needed to know, Summer was thriving, and he was glad. They didn't need to drag up the past.

It wasn't all that weird seeing Scott and Summer together as a couple, the two of them made sense. They had ambition and a strong sense of duty. They were leaders, they were heading in the same direction, and if they could walk that path together Dillon was happy for them.

As for Dillon himself, he was more in sync with Ziggy, all they wanted was to be with the people they cared about.

When it was time to call it a night, Summer showed them to rooms they could stay in. The rooms were small, one single bed each, and it felt weird to be in the same place and not share. Realising how used to that he'd grown to that, Dillon felt a strange sense of peace wash over him, like he knew his life was heading in the right direction.

Looking at Ziggy, who was looking back thinking the same thing, Dillon knew Tenaya was right. He was denying them both something amazing here.

He wondered if he should say something now, about how important Zig was to him, or how it might be really great if they gave it a shot. But it had been a long day, and he was tired, maybe it would be better if he waited, planned it more, didn't make it a spur of the moment thing. After all, they'd waited this long, rushing and screwing it up now would be stupid.

Dillon went to the door of his room, looking back at Ziggy with a smile.

"Night, Zig."

\---

They didn't hang around Omega long in the morning. Dillon was keen to get back to Tenaya, and he had seen all he needed to, to know that Summer was okay.

When they'd finished breakfast, she headed towards to them to say goodbye.

"I'll wait on the bus," Ziggy offered, giving Dillon a moment to say anything he needed to.

"Thanks, Zig."

There was nothing Dillon needed to say, but Summer deserved a chance to speak if she wanted to. Watching her approach, Dillon appreciated that she was a beautiful girl, and he loved her as a friend, but being around her didn't stir him like it did with Ziggy. He didn't feel that irresistible pull.

She stopped in front of him, smiling up in that cheeky way of hers.

"You know, Dillon. You could stay. We could use people like you out here."

In a way she was right, Omega was a viable option for people to build a home now, but personally he had so much to go back for.

Back when he was wandering the wastelands, with no memory and no direction, he never could have believed his life would be like this now, that he would have a home. Tenaya was in Corinth, with Flynn who was committed to his shop and father. She was never going to leave, and neither was Dillon. Besides, he had a job that he loved. And he had Ziggy.

"My life is in Corinth."

She gave him a softer smile.

"I had to try."

"Goodbye, Summer."

"Bye, Dillon."

He was sure he would see her again, they would always be friends, but he didn't ever want her to be waiting on him.

\---

It was just the two of them on the drive back, and it was a lot quieter than Dillon expected. Maybe Ziggy was tired, they had done a lot of heavy lifting yesterday.

"Stop the bus!" Ziggy yelled all of a sudden. Dillon slammed the brakes on, assuming he'd seen something outside.

"What is it?" he checked, already mentally preparing himself for a possible fight, you never knew what you'd find in the wastelands.

Ziggy bailed off and all Dillon could do was follow him if he wanted an answer.

Ziggy looked pretty worked up, but that wasn't entirely unusual. He had a tendency to catastrophise. Dillon wanted to help but he couldn't if he didn't know what the problem was.

"Ziggy, what's wrong?"

Ziggy whirled around, arms flailing, crazy hair sticking out everywhere.

"I can't take it anymore!"

Dillon was still lost.

"This thing between us," Ziggy said, gesturing wildly between them. "Are we ever gonna talk about it?"

Dillon didn't know what to say, but he did know he didn't want Ziggy to be mad with him.

"Zig..."

"I swear if you try avoiding this again I'll..."

"You'll do what?" Dillon challenged.

Ziggy stopped and stared at him.

"Why are you doing this to me, Dillon?"

"I'm not doing anything..."

"Exactly! You can't just kiss a person, and I'm not talking about just any old kiss, I mean a mind-blowing, life-altering, meaning-of-everything type kiss, and expect them to just forget about it!"

Dillon was impressed.

"You really think it was like that?"

"Don't you?"

"Yeah Zig," he smirked. "I do."

Ziggy blinked at him in disbelief.

"Then why are we not doing it on a regular basis?"

Dillon wanted to say he had no idea why, grab Ziggy and kiss him, and believe that they would live happily ever after. But the world wasn't like that and Ziggy was much too important to him to rush this now and mess it up.

So he stayed put and tried to put some of it into words. The only thing was...

"I don't know how to say it. I can't even think of a word for what you mean to me. And all this avoidance and waiting around, it's because I am scared of screwing it up and losing you. I dunno what I'd do without you, Zig. I think you might actually be the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know how to live without you now. But we can take this slow, I don't wanna-"

Ziggy surged forward and cut him off by clapping a hand over his mouth.

"I never, ever, ever thought I'd say this. But Dillon, you're talking too much."

Dillon curled his fingers around Ziggy's slender wrist and pulled his hand away. God, how he loved this wacky, intense, beautiful boy.

"But," Dillon countered. "If we're gonna be partners, I feel like we should work on our communication..."

Ziggy had said that exact thing to him the day they met, and judging by the smile forming on his face, he remembered it too.

"We clicked, didn't we? Right from the start."

"I dunno what it is, Zig. But you do something to me that no one else ever has."

Ziggy closed the gap between them, pressing their bodies together.

"I haven't yet, but I can..."

Dillon laughed. It was corny, but he loved it.

"I'm counting on it..."

They met in the middle, lips locking together, that sense of completion washing over Dillon again. Ziggy was absolutely right, they needed to do this as often as possible.

The kiss they shared was hungry on both their parts, like they needed to feel each other in this way, and Dillon was ready to give in to it.

He leaned back and cupped Ziggy's delicate face.

"And just so you know Zig, I'm all in."

"Me too, Dillon. You had me at 'no'."

Dillon laughed again, thinking about their first chance meeting, when Ziggy had tried to rob him.

He grabbed Ziggy's hand, warm and solid in his own, delighted that he could do things like this now.

"C'mon then," he said, leading him back towards the bus. "Let's go home."

\---

Back in Corinth, Dillon had to work extra hard to tone his smile down and maintain some semblance of cool. It was damn near impossible though, he couldn't wait to tell Tenaya that he and Ziggy had finally decided to make a go of it.

"You know," Dillon said to Ziggy as they approached Dillon's place. "T saw this coming."

"She did?"

"Yeah, she reckoned I was being an idiot for waiting so long."

"You kind of were," Ziggy grinned.

"Hey, don't be mean to your boyfriend," Dillon said as he turned the key in the lock.

Ziggy threaded his arms around Dillon's neck and pulled him close.

"I'll just have to find some way to make it up to you."

Dillon laughed as Ziggy's lips landed on his.

"Hell yeah, lads!" a Scottish brogue exclaimed. "I knew it!"

Neither of them knew what to say as Flynn thumped Dillon on the back and moved past them to swing the door open.

"Tenaya!" he called into the flat. "I won!"

Dillon and Ziggy exchanged a look, then they followed him inside.

Tenaya appeared, giving them a scrutinising look.

"I guess you did," she smiled at Flynn, apparently happy to have lost the wager.

"What's going on here?" Dillon wondered.

"Tenaya said it would take weeks yet, but I knew you'd get your act together on this trip."

"It's about time, Dillon," his sister smiled at him. "A catch like Ziggy wasn't gonna wait around forever."

"She might be right," Ziggy shrugged, as though he wasn't totally into this.

"Shut up," Dillon smiled, resting a hand on Ziggy's lower back and pulling him close. All Ziggy could do was go with it and tuck into Dillon's side.

"We have some news too," Flynn announced with a bright smile.

Tenaya held out her left hand, a ring sparkled on her third finger.

"What? No way!" Dillon grinned, grabbing her hand for a closer look at the diamond.

"She finally said yes!" Flynn beamed, wrapping an arm around Tenaya.

"Finally?" Ziggy questioned.

"Flynn's been asking pretty much since we came back to Corinth."

"What made you accept?" Dillon asked.

"We've been through a lot, things have changed, but not the important ones."

Flynn seemed to like that answer, and they shared a kiss. Seeing his sister happy and getting on with her life was all Dillon wanted for her.

"You think I might get one of those?" Ziggy murmured into his ear, referring to Tenaya's ring.

"What?!" Dillon yelped, that felt a long way off, if at all.

"Relax," Ziggy laughed. "It was a joke."

Dillon's heart thumped nervously in his chest, but at least Tenaya and Flynn thought it was pretty funny.

"You'll pay for that..." he growled at Ziggy.

"Promise?" Ziggy purred back.

"Get a room you two!" Flynn complained.

"Funny you should say that," Dillon grinned, grabbing Ziggy's hand. "We have one right here."

Ziggy happily followed him, much to Flynn's mock disgust, and Dillon couldn't remember having ever been happier than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an epilogue to go. Thanks for reading :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been super lazy with posting this epilogue, but here it is. Enjoy :)

Dillon arrived home from work to find Ziggy putting the finishing touches on a fancy looking cake.

"What's this?" he wondered.

"Well, it's been a whole year since I've known you and you haven't had a birthday. Obviously, it happened somewhere in there, so I'm declaring it today. Happy Birthday, Dillon!"

Dillon guessed it was kind of appropriate to celebrate on the anniversary of the day that he'd met Ziggy. It was a completely new beginning for him, he was the person he was today because of that meeting.

"Thanks, Zig," he smiled, leaning in to give Ziggy a kiss while also trying to stealthily swipe his finger through the icing at the same time.

"No!" Ziggy protested, grabbing his arm. "It's not done. Plus you're all dirty."

"Fine," Dillon sighed. "I'll go grab a shower while we wait for the others."

Tenaya had moved in with Flynn and his dad. It made sense because she was always over there, or Flynn was here anyway. He missed having her around, but as long as she was happy, Dillon could deal with it. Besides, having Zig around helped, and Dillon was planning on asking him a question to make things more permanent.

Flynn and Tenaya had arrived by the time he was done getting cleaned up.

"Happy Birthday," his sister grinned, pulling him into a hug. He knew she shared the thought with him that this was a little silly, but they couldn't argue with the reason behind it, Ziggy was doing all this because he cared, so they both silently agreed to give in to it all.

"Thanks, T."

Flynn wished him a happy birthday too, and shook his hand, but then couldn't resist pulling him into a one-armed hug.

A year ago Dillon would have broken anyone's arm for trying, now it wasn't so bad to know people cared.

"Cake time!" Ziggy declared.

"Shouldn't we have dinner first?" Dillon wondered.

"No, I'm too excited. Sit down," Ziggy insisted, steering him to a chair in front of the rainbow cake.

Flynn lit the candles.

"Go on," Ziggy prompted. "Make a wish."

When Dillon took a breath and leaned in, a memory swirled to the surface; Tenaya beside him, their shoulders pressed together as they both leaned in...

This was something he'd always done with her, he realised. They had the same birthday.

His head snapped up to look at her and he could see she remembered it too.

"We're twins," they both said at the same time.

Ever enthusiastic and adaptable, Ziggy grabbed a pipe of icing and added Tenaya's name to the cake, before ushering her into a chair beside Dillon.

Dillon gave her a grin and grabbed her hand.

"Ready, sis?"

She nodded and took a breath, then they both blew out the candles together.

After they'd cut the cake, Flynn pulled Tenaya aside for a birthday kiss, leaving Dillon and Ziggy alone.

Dillon pulled Ziggy down onto his lap.

"Thank you," he smiled, sharing a sweet kiss with Ziggy, which tasted like strawberry frosting.

"What'd you wish for?" Ziggy asked.

"A 'yes'."

Ziggy's face lit up, reminding Dillon for the thousandth time how beautiful he was.

"Is there a question?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure is," Dillon smiled. "Move in with me?"

Ziggy grinned wider and pressed another kiss to his mouth.

"I'm taking this as a yes," Dillon said against Ziggy lips.

"Yes, it's a yes," Ziggy agreed. "Even though a yes is a little redundant at this stage."

Dillon laughed. It was true, Ziggy practically lived here anyway, but it was nice to make things official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go. This is probably the most random fic I've ever written. I guess I was just consumed by a need to give these two a happy ending together, however sickly sweet and OOC it turned out to be. If you made it this far, thanks for a bunch for reading!


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